SCOTSPORTS
Photos by Kent Kriegshauser
SULTAN OF SACK STRENGTH, SPEED AND SMARTS MADE THOMAS LESNIEWSKI A QUARTERBACK’S NIGHTMARE
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henever Monmouth College head football coach Chad Braun needed to find Thomas Lesniewski, he knew there were two places to look—the library or the weight room. During Fighting Scots’ games, Braun also had a reliable spot to search—the opponents’ backfield. Lesniewski completed his stellar Monmouth career with 34.5 sacks, setting a program record that had stood for nearly 30 years. Overall, he was credited for 53.5 tackles for loss, from a total of By 157 tackles. BARRY “Thomas is the most McNAMARA disruptive guy I’ve ever coached,” said Braun after a season that saw Lesniewski earn his fourth consecutive first team All-Midwest Conference honor and second MWC defensive lineman of the year selection. “A lot of people talk about the sacks, but it’s not just getting to the quarterback. We were also one of the top defenses in the nation in yards rushing (68.0), and a big reason for that is Thomas.
He’s just a dominant football player.” The AFCA All-American and threetime All-West Region selection wreaked havoc as a defensive end, but not by having the prototypical features of the position. Standing only 6-foot-1, his speed and football instincts are what set him apart. “He runs like a defensive back,” said Braun of Lesniewski, who also wore a DB’s jersey number—2. “His speed is just incredible, and he’s very, very instinctive. He has a knack for finding the football, and that’s something you just can’t coach.” Lesniewski said speed has always been part of his game. “I first tried out for football in eighth grade,” he said. “I’d never played sports. I just played video games. I tried out, and I was the fastest player on the team.” The inexperienced Lesniewski didn’t get
to see much of the field that season, but his talent began to show while playing for Marian Central Catholic High School, a perennial power in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. Many of his teammates, such as current Canadian Football League quarterback Chris Streveler, were pursued by college football programs, but Lesniewski’s lack of size led to a lack of recruiting attention. “I wished I’d looked at D3 colleges when I was in high school,” said Lesniewski, who eventually tried to play at an NAIA school, Missouri Valley College. While redshirting there, he said he lost his passion for the sport. That passion rekindled as he decided to transfer and had regular contact with Monmouth’s coaching staff. “Coach (Mitch) Russell called me every day,” said Lesniewski. “I wouldn’t be here without Coach Russell. It’s definitely the best decision I’ve ever made.” “He’s the most explosive player I’ve ever seen,” said Russell, who had also shown interest in Lesniewski coming out of high (Continued on page 32) WINTER 2019
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